Sooners steal two signees, lose one on final day of recruiting

NORMAN — The Sooners completed another wild Signing Day, stealing two commitments away in the final hours while losing one of their own.

University of Oklahoma Sooner (OU) head football coach Bob Stoops talks about his recruiting class at the Lloyd Noble Center on Wednesday, February 2, 2011, in Norman, Okla. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman

OU lost defensive end Cooper Washington, a longtime Sooner commitment, to Texas Tech, but snagged Coppell, Texas, cornerback Bennett Okotcha and Euless, Texas, offensive tackle Nila Kneubuhl, who didn't sign with the Sooners until Wednesday afternoon after reportedly wavering between Baylor and OU.

A lot of times, you have guys you've been working for a long time,” coach Bob Stoops said during halftime of the OU-Baylor basketball game. “Fortunately, it came together in the last week.

“They're guys we think can really have great careers here. They're similar to guys that have had great careers that we've signed, sometimes late.”

Okotcha, who had been committed to Notre Dame since December, and Wisconsin before that, began telling people Monday night that he had planned to sign with the Sooners.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Okotcha is ranked the No. 98 overall prospect in Texas, and the No. 64 cornerback in the country by Rivals.com. ESPNU ranks him the No. 50 cornerback nationally.

A spot opened up for Okotcha to sign with OU after Brandon Carter de-committed from the Sooners a few weeks ago and pledged with TCU.